Socca Mexican Pizza {vegan, gluten-free}

Let’s talk about chickpeas. I’m convinced they’re magical. Seriously, there must be some sorcerer out there who conjured up these little beans to do whatever you wanted them to do. Ok, they can’t do the dishes or take out the trash, but they can do pretty everything culinarily!

They’re high in protein, fiber, manganese, folate, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. Chickpeas are great to include in your diet to control blood sugar levels, assist in weight loss, improve digestion, and protect against heart disease and cancer. Source: Dr. Axe)

You can transform them into a dip, process them into pasta, toss them into salads and soups, shred them into sandwich spreads, roast them for a snack, form them into a burger, make savory waffles, and even dry and pulverize them into a flour.

Yes, I have finally found the wonder that is chickpea flour, also known as gram flour. It’s naturally vegan and gluten free. It’s low cost and high protein. It’s flavorful and nutty. And it’s incredibly versatile, ranging in use from savory to sweet!

I picked up a bag of chickpea flour at a local imported goods grocery store, with nothing much in mind as to how I’d use it. I just have a habit of buying ingredients and THEN figuring out how to cook with them 🙂

So finally, I gave it a shot. I found a “chickpea flour pizza” recipe (aka Socca pizza) on Epicurious and adjusted it again and again before I found the perfect combination of ingredients, cooking time, and ideal temperatures.

It’s a hard life making and eating so much healthy pizza!

Each iteration was better than the last, but not quite. I wanted something you could pick up and eat like a piece of pizza. And I didn’t want the toppings to be simply tomatoes and basil. This recipe is a result of all that testing and topping experimentation, which I hope you enjoy!

If you’re concerned you won’t use up an entire bag of chickpea flour, I recommend buying from the bulk bins at your local Whole Foods or organic foods store. However, this flour keeps well, and I promise you’ll want to add this pizza into your regular recipe rotation! It’s a million times easier than making traditional pizza crust, which requires rising time, kneading, and crazy high oven temps.

Socca Mexican Pizza

Serves 2

• 2/3 C gram flour (chickpea flour)
• 1 C warm water
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp each of sea salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1/2 C diced bell pepper
• 1/4 C frozen or fresh corn kernels
• 1/2 C meatless Mexican Crumbles, like LightLife
• 2/3 C shredded dairy-free mozzarella cheese

In a medium bowl, whisk together the gram flour with 1/3 cup of the warm water to create a paste. Then whisk in the other 2/3 cup water until you have a smooth, liquid batter. Set aside to hydrate for at least 30 minutes, up to two hours.

Turn on the broiler in your oven.

Heat an oven-safe frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high on the stovetop. Pour in the oil and let that heat through.

Whisk the spices and herbs into the batter. Make sure the oil is coating the entire skillet and pour in the batter. Let this cook on the stove for 5 minutes.

Once cooked, turn off the heat. Layer the veggies over the crust, then the meatless crumbles, and finally the cheese. Transfer the skillet to the broiler and cook 4-5 minutes, turning the skillet around halfway through.

Once the cheese has browned and the crust looks like all liquid spots have set, remove the pizza (careful – the handle will be HOT!).

Slice the pizza into four pieces and use a spatula to transfer them to your plates. Enjoy hot!